


Heartbroken

by avianscribe



Series: Collection of Prompts [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Sad, Thinking about destiny, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-15 01:32:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19285375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avianscribe/pseuds/avianscribe
Summary: The kings of yore tell Regis about his son's destiny.





	Heartbroken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WordMonster99](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordMonster99/gifts).



> Inspired by [the Dawn Trailer for Final Fantasy XV](https://youtu.be/FXMJTGna_xA)... All the feels. ;_;
> 
> Written in response to the prompt, "Heartbroken", from Tumblr user lovefiction99, for my June 2019 Birth Month Writing Prompts celebration!

“No,” Regis gasped, as the vision of the old kings faded. Their words rang loud and hollow in his mind:  _ ‘Noctis Lucis Caelum is the Chosen, the King of Kings. He it is that will cleanse our Star of its Scourge’ _ . 

_ “No…” _ Regis whispered. 

It was the thing the line of Lucis had been founded to do; their destiny, in protecting the Crystal through generations. And yet.

_ And yet. _

Regis clutched poor Noctis to him. His tiny son murmured in his sleep, and nuzzled closer. 

Why? Why  _ now? _ Why  _ his Noctis, _ the only family he had, his last connection to dear Aulea? Why could the Chosen not have come centuries from now? Why had the kings of yore chosen  _ now _ to reveal it to him?

Noctis put a tiny hand on his face. His breath caught in his throat.

He tried to imagine his little boy as the man he would become. Some mix of himself and Aulea, grown, with the Ring of the Lucii on his finger.  _ The Ring.  _ Regis never wanted his son thus burdened. He wanted to hope that Noctis would be noble, tall. That he would grow into a fine man -- a fine king. 

Regis hoped that day never came. He wanted this moment with Noctis to last forever.

At least he could be assured (couldn’t he?) that when he had to fill his role as King of Kings, Noctis would be well-grown, have lived a full life. He wanted to hope that his son could face his destiny with a queen at his side, with good men at his back.

He watched the spectres of the kings of yore fade in the rising sun. He leaned his back against the Regalia and held Noctis closer.

“Majesty.” 

It was Clarus, a small distance away. It was royal duty calling, a million pressing appointments that could not be delayed. Regis couldn’t face them. Not yet. He needed this one moment, a pocket of time to be a father cradling a son whose fate hurt more than he could have imagined. He breathed, carefully and measured. In, out. He pressed his lips to Noctis’s head. 

“I will be with you,” he whispered. “Always.”


End file.
